'ConspiracyTok': The right-wing's newest attempt at spreading conspiracy theories on social media
As social media platforms finally take to cracking down on conspiracy theories, right-wing propaganda has found a new home. Conspiracy theorists are flooding TikTok, a popular social media application known for its short videos, with misinformation and alt-right propaganda.
The videos are mostly known on the platform as “ConspiracyTok” come from a community that regularly discusses conspiracy theories. According to Media Matters, while some accounts are dedicated to theories of why the earth is flat others are more harmful and spread misinformation about cultures and identities, including COVID-19. That in itself is harmful to the country specifically, Asian Americans who have been discriminated against and targeted due to these theories, however as TikTok’s algorithm promotes these videos more harm is done as misinformation reaches broader and often more vulnerable audiences.
A majority of TikTok users are GenZ users that are subject to influence from social media, as algorithms target youth members misinformation can have dire consequences. A fact it seems many alt-right TikTok users are taking advantage of. It only takes one video for a person’s entire feed to be filled with “ConspiracyTok.” The way TikTok’s account recommendation algorithm works is individual users are recommended to one another by not only distance but potential interest.
Meaning if you accidentally even stumble on one video you most likely will end up seeing more in the future. Additionally, if a user follows someone they are more likely to get recommendations of similar accounts. This has caused the massive spread of not only anti-vax misinformation but, QAnon-related theories, COVID-19 denial, and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/4/3/2024181/--ConspiracyTok-The-right-wing-s-newest-attempt-at-spreading-conspiracy-theories-on-social-media
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